John A. Behnke, president of one of the most powerful Ukiah law firms, was tapped last Thursday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Mendocino County Superior Court.

Behnke, 55, began practicing civil and criminal law in Mendocino County in 1977. He heads the firm of Carter, Behnke, Oglesby and Bacik, where he has focused on civil litigation, real estate and land disputes since 1983.

"I appreciated the appointment because it reflects confidence in me of former judges, the local bar and the local community," Behnke said. "Frankly, I was also delighted to get something signed by Arnold Schwarzenegger."

Behnke, a former partner for two years in the firm of Gaustad and Behnke, began his career as a Mendocino County deputy district attorney. Behnke graduated from Lawrence University in Wisconsin in 1971. For the next two years, he volunteered for the Peace Corps in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Upon his return to the United States, Behnke enrolled at the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. He graduated in 1977 and was admitted to the state bar later that year.

He will succeed retired Judge Henry K. Nelson.

Jim Luther, a former Superior Court judge, first met Behnke in 1978. He said the 28-year-old deputy District Attorney struck him as "professional, personable and honest with the court." A good sense of humor was apparent then, Luther added.

"I know that when he is done he will be regarded as a judge who didn't go in with an agenda and didn't go into a case with his mind made up," said Luther, now retired. "Instead, he's open to both sides, critical in hearing evidence and open to being persuaded."

Of the three judgeship appointments last week, Behnke was the only one to be politically unaffiliated. He said he enjoyed evaluating candidates on their own merits and was loathe to give up that ability by adopting a party platform.

Among his work with his current firm, Behnke helped represent Pacific Lumber Co. in a series of intricate lawsuits involving water quality requirements and timber management plans.

Behnke will serve the remaining two years of Nelson's term before running for election in 2008 for a full six-year term. Judges are paid an annual salary of $149,160.

Seth Freedland can be reached at udjsf@pacific.net

When this story was posted in September 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in dangerWhen the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger.

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Story Source: Ukiah Daily Journal

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Afghanistan; Jurisprudence; Law

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